Unknown
by M.C. Mae
Summary: Random unfinished one-shots of another universe where Mai has PK-LT instead of latent ESP. Also, I do not own Ghost Hunt.
1. Chapter 1

The day had started like any other; meaning, in short, Mai Taniyama was perfectly, acceptably early. She liked being early so she could go over the material before class started...not that the teachers needed to know that. Mai was what many would call an _underachiever._ That is, unless they really knew her at all. But alas, that is another story for another day. As Mai walked beneath the blooming cherry blossoms, her gaze taking in the natural beauty of the early morning, she couldn't help but revel in the quiet. Though, if you asked her, she enjoyed the bustling cities a bit more-the sonder of those bustling through the streets, the intoxicating aromas of cooking food, and the tall buildings are enough to take her breath away. It is a necessity, Mai believes, to be alone, sometimes, in order to find oneself, but only once in a great, _great_ while. There _is_ a difference between being alone and being _lonely_ after all. Besides, Mai's a people person through and through.

Mai's inner one-sided monologue was cut short when she caught sight of the Old Schoolhouse. Thinking of the stories told the night before, she gave the building a wide berth, even while cursing herself for behaving like a small child. Haunted or not, she refused to be intimidated by a rickety old structure, even if the accidents (supposedly) reported there did make her heart ache. In that moment, Mai resolves to find out more tonight when she and the girls get together for telling ghost stories.

"I am _sooo_ ready for this!" Mai says brightly to her two best friends, Keiko and Michiru, respectfully, as she grins through the beam of her flashlight.

"That's creepy, Mai-chan!" Michiru cries, slapping her arm. Mai pouts in response, but obliges the unspoken command and quits deliberately looking like a lunatic. "Much better," Michiru sighs.

"Alright, alright. Who wants to go first?" Keiko-chan asks.

"Four," a disembodied voice adds. The two girls jump, both much too invested in trying to scare the others to pay attention to anything outside of their circle. "Gah!" Keiko and Michiru cry, clinging to each other for dear life. Mai struggles to hide a giggle behind her hand. She's not one to scare easily.

"Five!" another voice adds, popping his head around the corner and grinning at the terrified girls endearingly. That, and she may have noticed the two boys-twins, she noted-lurking in the doorway, seemingly listening to their storytelling. When they didn't attempt to interrupt, Mai simply shrugged mentally, but watched them from the corner of her eye, whether it be from paranoia or curiosity. She wasn't sure which.

"I'm sorry; were we interrupting?" one boy asks buoyantly. The two girls shriek cheerful denials, gathering around the boys. Mai sighs inwardly.

"What grade are you guys in?" Keiko-chan asks curiously.

"We're seventeen," the other twin answers, smiling. _It's forced,_ Mai muses. _He's faking it, but why?_

"That means you're both our _sempai_ ," Michiru says cheerfully. _Why didn't he just answer with what grade he's in?_ Something wasn't right about this; Mai didn't like it one bit. "Do you want to join us? We were just-"

"Leaving," Mai interrupts. "We were just _leaving_."

"Maybe next time," the other, more genuine boy says. "Oh, we didn't get your names!"

"My name is Keiko, this is Michiru, and that's Mai-"

"And you are?" Mai asks coolly. Something wasn't quite right about them; she couldn't put her finger on it, but something's definitely off. She narrows her scrutinizing gaze in an attempt to sniff it out. _What_ is _it?_

"Oh, I'm _ and that's Kazuya Shibuya."

"Well it was nice to meet you and all, but we've got to get going."

"Why don't you guys join us tomorrow?" Keiko asks.

"Sure," _ replies easily. Even as she says a quick goodbye, after dragging the girls from the classroom, she still can't figure it out. It's not something she's seen before and she's damned determined to figure it out.

Then it's suddenly morning and she can barely get her eyes open not to mention actually sit up and _function. Get used to it,_ Mai thinks, huffing, _medical school's not going to be kind, ya'know._


	2. Chapter 2

Mai Taniyama hisses as she gently rubs her latest injury due to her clumsy tendencies. This time, it's her ankle. _At least it's not broken_ , she muses, before gently healing the area. While her ankle would be tender for awhile-she didn't want to expend any more energy than necessary in the event of a medical emergency-it wasn't shooting pain through her leg anymore. Once she finishes her assessment, she grabs her backpack and dashes through her doorway. She watches as the bus begins to pull forward, merging with traffic.

"Hold on! Wait a second!" Mai cries, cursing her clumsiness as she sprints toward the bus. However, it doesn't appear that anyone on board noticed her, or didn't care. At any rate, she still needed to get to school and so she heaves a sigh and starts walking. Her mother would be furious if she was late again.

Mai is two minutes late. She manages to throw herself through the classroom door and, upon noticing that her teacher is nowhere to be seen, nearly collapses into her assigned chair.

"Miss the bus again, Mai-chan?" Keiko-chan, one of Mai's closest friends, asks, grinning. "You're lucky Adachi-san isn't here yet."

"Yeah," Mai mutters back. "My mom would've killed me if I was late _again_. Maybe the world's conspiring against me, or perhaps I was always exceptionally early in a past life, thus cursing me to chronic lateness."

"Or maybe it's because you stay up super late reading those books," Keiko-chan says dryly. "I don't understand how you're not sick of them." Mai shrugs and struggles not to tug her bag closer to her, ensuring no one can look inside. Instead, Mai replies, "They're easy reads."

"Of course they are," Michio-san says snarkily. "It's not a secret that your scores are the lowest in the class, _Mai-san_." Mai bites the inside of her cheek to keep from saying things she'd regret, such as the reason said scores are so low is because _she intentionally fails her tests_. It doesn't matter, however, as Adachi-san takes that moment to walk into the room, calling his students to attention and beginning roll call. The class goes by pretty quickly in Mai's estimate, until, finally, the bell rings, springing the students from their seats and from the classroom.

"Mai! Michiru wants to tell ghost stories tonight! Please tell me you'll come?"


	3. Chapter 3

Mai sighs. "I wish I had ESP or something," she says thoughtfully. "Then I could be more useful."

"But, Jou-chan! You _are_ useful! Our own personal nurse!" Ayako scowls, slapping the back of his head with unnecessary force.

"Ow! That one _hurt!_ " he whines, rubbing the back of his head exaggeratedly.

"Good! It was supposed to!" she snaps, "Now, Mai, I know you may not feel very useful, but you're still learning how to use your abilities and medicine in general. Once you've gotten more experience on both fronts, I'm sure you'll come to accept your abilities."

"Your PK-LT is one of the most complex abilities I've seen," Naru says suddenly. Mai stares, as he usually doesn't bother to contribute to these non-work-related conversations except to break them up. He frowns and continues, almost to himself, "each time I think I have you in a certain category, you always go above my expectations. So far, all I've managed to conclude is that you're a PK user, though I theorize that you are also an empath."

"Go on," Ayako prods, nodding. Surprisingly, the group-especially Mai-seem to be listening intently to Naru's hypothesis. All without interruption.

"Wait, you think Mai's an empath, too?" Monk demands. _An empath?_ Mai wonders, unfamiliar with the term beyond it's obvious correlation to 'empathy.' Her confusion must have manifested itself onto her facial features because Naru continues, "I'll elaborate for Mai's sake." This causes said girl to scowl threateningly. "An empath is someone that has a connection to the mental or emotional state of another individual."

"Oh." She laughs. "I'm not an empath, Naru."

"How are you so certain?" he asks, his fingers tapping the arm of the couch. Mai wonders if he's itching to grab his notebook.

"I use my PK-LT," she admits sheepishly. "I did some more studying…Don't look at me like that, Ayako!" she exclaims suddenly.

" _Mai_." Naru snaps. "Your PK-LT."

"Right. Well, I mean, happiness, sadness, excitement, etc..They obviously manifest physically-"

"You use your PK-LT in order to find out how someone's feeling," Naru realizes.

"Yes," Mai confirms. "I've been able to do this since I was younger...I just didn't have a scientific understanding of what I was doing. I realize now that I was observing-figuratively, of course-emotions happening." Mai smiles softly, glancing down.

"That's..That's beautiful, Mai," Ayako says, awed.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'll take base duty tonight," Mai chirps, and the group turns to stare at the girl as though she grew a second head. Mai huffs, rolling her eyes and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "What? I'm going to be awake making sure Yuki-chan is stable and studying, anyway. Besides, I've been drinking _waaay_ too much caffeine to actually fall asleep."

"Couldn't you make yourself sleep?" Ayako asks interestedly, "since you can manipulate your health?"

"Technically," Mai admits, "...and I may have done the opposite in the past when studying

for midterms, but...it's not something I'd exactly _recommend_. That being said," Mai turns to glance over at Naru, "I'll have to crash in about five hours from now so I can switch with whomever then." _As I may or may not have cut off the melatonin from circulating in my system._

"Fine," Naru says, "Mai and I will take base duty until two. Then Matsuzaki-san and Lin will take over."

" _Why do I have to take base duty?!"_ Ayako whines. "I need my beauty sleep!"

"You're right about that one," Monk adds, receiving a slap on the arm in retaliation. "You must be getting weak in your old age; that one didn't hurt."

"Someone needs to watch over Yuki-chan, Ayako," Mai points out.

"But why _me?_ " Ayako whines.

"It's a compliment on your abilities-both religious and medical-since Yuki-chan's the one being targeted," Mai says thoughtfully, almost as though talking to herself. Ayako's expression clears and she nods. "Of course. I _am_ the best for the job, after all." Before Bou-san can offend the shrine maiden, Mai smiles and quickly adds, "Then it would probably best for you both to get some sleep." Bou-san opens his mouth, his gaze sliding over to Ayako. " _Now._ It wasn't a suggestion," Mai says icily, doing her best Naru impression. Bou-san slumps, pouting like a chastised child, before slinking from the room, Ayako and Masako following suit soon after. Of course, Masako primly suggests that Lin be the one to stay with me in base, rather than Naru.

"What, Masako? Do you think _the_ Oliver Davis can't handle monitoring in base for a couple of hours?" The silence is as thick as fog. "Whoops," Mai says airily, "my bad." Lin snorts, Naru glares, and Masako stares before catching herself and slipping behind her porcelain mask.

"How did you-?" Naru asks.

"Gene," Mai admits.

"You know Gene?" Naru demands, crossing his arms and practically burning holes into Mai's face with the heat of his glare.

"I may or may not have pushed him out of the way of a car a few years ago," Mai admits slowly. "We still text, sometimes."

"Somehow that's not surprising," Naru admits, causing Mai to giggle.


	5. Chapter 5

"Jou-chan!" Monk exclaims, staring at the teenager as she takes the temperature readings.

"What, Bou-san?" she asks absently, scribbling down another piece of information.

"I just realized; you haven't tripped yet!" he exclaims giddily. "When we were taking equipment out of the van, talking with the client, even when you got mad at Naru!" Mai snorts, rolling her eyes.

"He's right," Ayako says suddenly over the walkie-talkie. Eavesdropping through the camera, probably.

"Of course," Mai says flatly. "I've taken care of the problem." Bou-san studies the girl, frowning with confusion.

"What do you mean, Mai?" Ayako asks.

"I've done some research," Mai explains. "You see, clumsiness is caused by distractions, many times. It stems from a disruption between the muscles and brain, as I understand it. There is apparently a program out there to lessen the 'distraction', but that lasts about eight to ten weeks. With what I'm trying to accomplish-balancing your apprenticeship, school, a part-time job, helping out at home-I just don't have the time to dedicate myself to that kind of thing. So I did the next best thing: experimentation. On myself, with the help of my PK-LT."

Silence.

Mai glances up from her sheet filled with temperatures, scowling when she sees Monk's shocked expression. His mouth is even hanging open.

"You should close your mouth," Mai hisses, "you might swallow a fly or something equally unpleasant." He snaps his jaw shut with a disturbing ' _crack.'_ She rolls her eyes at the display and rises steadily to her feet.

"Er, nice initiative, Mai. But _no more experimenting on yourself!_ What happens if you accidentally hurt yourself?! Hmm? _I'd_ be the one dealing with it so no more of that, you hear me?!"

"How can I not?" Mai mutters rhetorically, causing Bou-san to cackle hysterically.

"What was that, brat?" she growls. "You're _my_ little apprentice, remember? I deserve

more respect!" Mai sighs, resigning herself to the fury of one Ayako Matsuzaki.

"Yes, Ayako-sensei." Only after half-an-hour of groveling on Mai's part does Ayako finally forgive the teen.


	6. Chapter 6

"I didn't think you were a spiritualist," Bou-san comments, confused, as we gather up the equipment eagerly. Or as eagerly as one can whilst gathering up equipment.

"I'm not," Mai replies simply, packing up a couple of cameras and their tripods into their case.

"But you exercised the spirit!" Bou-san exclaims. Mai sighs, "and I passed out immediately afterward. Think about it, Bou-san. Why would I pass out?"

"Pain?" Bou-san guesses.

"Perhaps, but not what I was thinking," Mai says, now rolling up a cord.

"Strain?"

"Aha. Bingo. My PK-LT, right?" Bou-san nods, wordlessly prompting Mai to continue. She takes the hint.

"I've been observing Gene and Masako-san when they see ghosts," she says, "and I've come to realize that their brain activity shifts. It's hard to explain. Anyway, I mimicked the activity and, well, achieved the desired reaction; in this case, it was seeing spirits."

"So you basically made yourself psychic?"

"Sort of, I guess. Before you get any ideas, eavesdropping narcissist, it would put too much stress on the body of any average person you attempted to test this out on. It wouldn't work." Mai sighs. "I had my 'energy' stores up and I still lost consciousness."

"I was not 'eavesdropping'," Naru says, "you were speaking loud enough anyone could hear you."

"Perhaps, but it still wouldn't work in an experimental setting, Naru."

"And this is in your professional medical opinion?" Naru asks. _Wait-is he_ teasing _me? How peculiar._

"Er, yes? Of course, not that I have a _professional_ opinion." Mai frowns. "I need to start looking at schools."

"Schools?" Bou-san asks.

"Medical school," Mai clarifies.


	7. Chapter 7

"No! Naru, don't!" Mai cries out, struggling to grab her book from his grasp. He simply holds it farther out of her reach, and being as short as she is, it's really no feat. This, of course, irks Mai to no end. "Give it _back_ , Naru!"

"If you're going to read, something I'm rather surprised you can do, during office hours, when you should be _working_ , I will be taking it."

"No. Naru, _give it back this instant_. I mean it," Mai hisses furiously. Naru observes his assistant, wondering what could've gotten into her.

"Ayako, I need you to find me something I can make a splint out of-a ruler, a stick, anything," Mai says, digging furiously through Ayako's bag of medical supplies until she finds what she's looking for. "Masako, I need you to look at my eyes please." She pulls out a pen light and shines it into the other girl's eyes, checking for signs of a concussion.

"Mai, where did you learn to…?" Ayako drifts off as Mai places her hands on either side of Masako's face, her eyes closing as she heals the damage sustained. Head injuries are tricky, thus Mai needs her full concentration.

"She'll be fine," Mai mutters. "Her head's fine, though I worry about whether or not she made a clean break."

"You have PK-LT," Ayako realizes.

"I do," Mai admits readily. "Though I have done some studying on my own. I've learned that if I can do things as naturally as possible, I don't use as much of my energy. If I had tried this a year ago, I probably would've passed out."

"Amazing," she breathes. Mai's never seen Ayako speechless and has a feeling this doesn't happen very often.

"What happened?!" Bou-san demands, rushing over. "We heard a scream and came running!"

"It's fine," Mai assures him. "Masako broke her arm but she wasn't fatally injured-quite a miracle, actually."

"Matsuzaki-san?" Naru prompts, in which, to his surprise, she simply shrugs.

"Mai's probably more qualified to answer as to Masako's health," she answers archly.

"Not true," she mutters and is ignored. "How so?" Naru demands.

"She has exhibited PK-LT, Naru." Bou-san let's out a low whistle. "So now you really are a worthless old woman, Ayako."

 _Whack!_ Mai let's out a slightly hysterical giggle now that her secret's out.


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you wanna do when you grow up, Mai?" Little Michiru asks, eyes wide with curiosity. Mai pauses to consider; this was serious business, after all.

"I'm gonna be a doctor," Mai proudly proclaims. "I'm going to help people!"

"Kill me, Ayako," Mai groans, collapsing onto her plush couch, groaning. "The other interns were a nightmare, I swear Dr. _ has a grudge against me, and a patient vomited on my shoes!"

"One, the interns are a nightmare because they don't know anything, I have a hunch Dr. _ dislikes everyone, and shoes can be washed."

"I tried," Mai groans. "I had to wear gross vomit-stained, wet-from-scrubbing shoes all day. It was awful."

"Think of all the good you're doing, Mai," Ayako reminds her gently. While she may be a bit blunt at times, these were the moments Mai savors the most, as they don't often come up.

"I know," Mai whines. "I _know_. I just-"

"It's hard, and new, and you're easily the best doctor out of your class, which is something your peers will despise, if they don't already," Ayako says bluntly.

"I'm not-" Mai starts.

"But you are," Ayako says, tone brooking no argument. "Now let's-" The phone rings, interrupting her. Ayako picks up her phone, answering Dr. _. Her eyes grow wide and Mai grows worried. _What happened? Are there people hurt? Is the hospital going bankrupt, or something? Did the Board discover my true age and qualifications?_

"Naru wants to reopen SPR," Ayako says, "and he wants us all to meet at the old building."

Mai's hand wavers over the door of the SPR complex of the building. _Just knock on the damn door, Mai!_ She internally curses herself. _Or better yet, just walk inside! The idiot narcissist was the one who called you over!_ Mai takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. Bou-san throws the door open, grinning.

"Jou-chan!" he exclaims, throwing his arms around her tightly.

"Can't..breathe! Bou-san, you just saw me yesterday!" Bou-san releases the poor girl and grins. "It'll be like having the whole group back again!" Ayako and Mai lock gazes, giving the other a knowing glance.

"Hello, Naru. I must decline your offer to assist in reopening JSPR," Mai says tonelessly, having gotten used to delivering bad-heart wrenching, at times-information.

"Fine," Naru says. "And the rest of you?"

"But why, Jou-chan!? I thought you wanted to ghost hunt!"

"I'm currently interning at _ Hospital. I wouldn't have time to do both." Mai smiles sadly. "But that doesn't mean we can catch up. What have you both been up to?"

"Research," Lin says simply. Mai rolls her eyes at the one word answer, waving her arm in order to coax him into continuing. "We're studying


	9. Chapter 9

"You've found something," Ayako says, looking at the younger girl. "What is it?"

"I don't know..it could just be coincidence.." she murmurs. "Come look at this? I need a second opinion."

"The amount of medical jargon being said makes my brain hurt," Bou-san groans, gripping his head. "It's giving me an aneurysm!"

"That's not...okay, whatever. Anyway," Mai speaks louder to address the group as a whole.


	10. Chapter 10

Two silhouettes, identical white jackets, with masks covering their faces. Mai's familiar with the look of a doctor, of steadfast certainty in the greatest of tragedy, of the heartbreaking sympathy to patients and their families, of that need, that _drive_ to push them for hours until they reach their breaking point in order to help those who need it. These men do not fit under that criteria. Cold. Uncaring. Callous. Causing death, rather than preventing it. The sight of them causes adrenaline to flood my system, my hands to get slick with sweat. And-And- _I can't move._ Can't scream. Can't alert anyone of the danger that stands in the doorway.

 _If you want to be a doctor,_ Ayako told me once, _you can't freeze up or panic. That's how people die._ I don't want to die. They grab my arms and drag my limp body through the maze of rooms, of darkness. _Don't panic._ Then I'm dragged past a maze of shrubbery, of skeletal branches reaching toward the darkness that surrounds us. _Details, Mai. What are the details?_ Cracked tiles. The light of a single bulb, hanging from a single strand. Chair. I want to lash out, to make them ever regret murdering countless people. I want to scream, to look them in the eye, and tell them exactly why this is so _wrong_. Tightness. From the leather straps. Or from my inability to breathe. Details. Details. Cold, across my neck. Blood. _Blood._

 _It won't heal!_ Panic holds me hostage, causes white stars to crowd my vision. _Vision._ Pieces click, somewhere in the back of my mind.

" _Mai!_ Mai, _wake up!_ " I jerk, my muscles tightening as I fight away those-those _monsters_ masquerading as doctors. "Take deep breaths," Ayako instructs. I mimic her actions, in addition to consciously ridding myself of the adrenaline that flooded my system. Tears overflow and make identical tear tracks down my cheeks.

"I'm not a spiritualist, so how…?" Mai wonders brokenly, reflecting on her time held hostage.

"I have a theory about that," Naru admits. "We now know that Urado was searching for immortality for an illness. Mai, you have PK-LT, which, to an inexperienced, eye could look like the answer he's searching for. It stands to reason that he could have pulled you into a vision. Powerful spirits have been known to show victims visions."

"That makes sense," Mai admits. "I couldn't use my PK...since I wasn't even injured, in the first place."


	11. Chapter 11

"You couldn't even bother to _tell me_!?" Mai snarls, her fists clenched as she stands in Naru's office doorway. "Not only did you have _Lin-san_ deliver the news, but you had him do it _via text message_ , you _baka!_ " Naru sighs softly, which causes Mai to mentally shriek with indignation. _Heaven forbid you answer for the consequences for your actions! They're far too_ inconvenient, _aren't they?_

"I expected you to overreact in this manner and wished to avoid it," Naru says simply, placing some books inside a cardboard box.

"I wonder why," she says icily. "It's not as though the people I'd considered _family_ are leaving! Or that they notified me through text message the day before their plane leaves! _Or_ that they told me not to bother showing up! Oh, wait. That _was_ what happened," Mai sneers. "Don't even bother keeping contact, _Doctor Davis_." Mai stomps from the room, from the office as a whole, and slams the door shut. Over. And over. Again.

 _Slam. Slam. SLAM!_

Mai takes a moment to catch her breath and collect herself, ignoring the annoyed and concerned looks of onlookers, and returns inside, where Lin-san is nowhere to be found- _probably hiding_ , Mai thinks amusedly. She steps back inside Naru's office and takes another deep breath.

"Finished with your tantrum?" Naru asks, exasperated. Mai mutters something in response, fiddling with the end of her sleeve. "What was that?" Naru asks. Mai thinks he enjoys messing with her.

"I said _yes_. Now, give me the damn tape. You'll never finish in time without help."

"I'm sorry, Naru." Another sigh. "As am I, Mai."


	12. INFORMATION

Hello! Thanks to everyone who viewed, commented, followed, and favorited my story (if you can call it that). I've started another work-in-progress, titled _Convalescent_ , which is a multi-chapter story with this same premise. While it's this same story line, these incomplete one-shots are subject to change/be removed completely.

Thanks,

M.C.


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